Vergina

Vergina

Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veroia municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. It was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Lausanne. It is best known as the site of ancient Aigai, the first capital of Macedon.

About Vergina in brief

Summary VerginaVergina is a small town in northern Greece, part of Veroia municipality in Imathia, Central Macedonia. It was established in 1922 in the aftermath of the population exchanges after the Treaty of Lausanne. Vergina is best known as the site of ancient Aigai, the first capital of Macedon. In 336 BC Philip II was assassinated in Aigae’s theatre and his son, Alexander the Great, was proclaimed king. The archaeological museum of Vergine was built to house all the artifacts found at the site and is one of the most important museums in Greece. The most important recent finds were made in 1977 when the burial sites of several kings of Macedonia were found, including the tomb of Philip II which had not been disturbed or looted, unlike so many of the other tombs there. The city wall was built in the 5th century, probably by Perdiccas II. At the end of the 6th century Archelaus I brought to his court artists, poets, and philosophers from all over the Greek world: it was, for example, at aigai that Euripides wrote and presented his last tragedies. In 168 BC, both old and new capitals were destroyed, all buildings pulled down and burned down. The bitter struggles between the heirs of Alexander in the 3rd century BC adversely affected the city of Aegae in 276 BC; in 276BC Gaulish mercenaries plundered the city and destroyed the walls of the old capital. After the overthrow of the Macedonian kingdom by the Romans in 168 BC the old capitals were pulled down, and all buildings were burned down and the walls pulled down.

In the 4th century BC, Archelaus transferred Macedonian capital north-east to Pella on the central Macedonian plain. From 1000 BC the area within a 7km radius of the later city was already intensively occupied by villages forming an important population centre, as shown by archaeology since 1995, and similar to other ancient Greek cities’ development. For this reason it was here that Cleopatra was murdered by one of his bodyguard in Greece of historic times held the most lavish funeral ceremony on an ivory bed on Laidaidre, wearing gold and ivory wreath on his golden wreath. The walled asty was built at the centre of AigAI. From AIGai the Macedonians spread to the central part of Macedonia and displaced the local population of Pierians. From 513 to 480 BC Aig Kai was part of the Persian Empire, but Amyntas I managed to maintain its relative independence, avoid Satrapy and extend its possessions. In first half of the 5TH century BC Aigailand became the capital of Macedonia, the mostimportant northern Hellenic state. Life reached unseen levels of luxury and to meet the needs of the court merchants from all around the ancient world brought to Aigaii valuable goods including perfume, carved ornaments and jewellery.